The agent through whom this power to overcome death would be made available was known as the heroic redeemer. Unlike the Jewish concept of the Messiah, whose function was that of establishing a kingdom of justice and righteousness on this earth, the heroic redeemer of the mystery cults was a savior able to conquer death not only for himself but for all of his faithful followers. He was a heavenly being who would come to earth in human form and use his miraculous power to perform deeds of mercy and kindness toward human beings. His work would encounter opposition from the forces of evil, and his earthly career would be brought to an end by a sacrificial death. By virtue of his power as a divine being, he would rise from the dead and ascend back to the heaven from whence he came.
The power that was manifest in the experiences of the heroic redeemer could be imparted to the members of the cult who were prepared to receive it. In order to prepare for this experience, the applicants for membership were required to go through certain initiatory rites, which usually included a sprinkling ceremony in which either water or blood was used, thus signifying a purifying process that cleansed the individual of evil. After the applicant became a member, other ceremonies were designed to bring about a mystical union between the believer and the redeemer. In one of these ceremonies, the initiates would sit in front of a stage, where they would witness a dramatic performance that portrayed the life, death, and resurrection of the redeemer. As they saw this drama enacted, they would feel a sense of kinship with the hero. Being united in spirit with him, they, too, would possess the power to overcome the evils of mortal existence, including even death itself.
In another type of ceremony, union with the redeemer was accomplished through participation in a common meal. The members of the cult gathered around a table and partook in a symbol of the body and blood of the redeemer, believing that in this way the life present in the redeemer was imparted to them. Membership in the cult and participation in its many rites and ceremonies were regarded as essential means for transforming the quality of one's living on this earth in preparation for the true salvation achieved in a life to come after death.
